Marathi Film Gondhal Heads to Oscars as Director Backs Ramayana for Global Glory

The Marathi film Gondhal has been officially selected as India's entry to the Oscars. Following the announcement, director Santosh Davakhar planned a pan-India release for the movie in multiple languages. The film hit theaters across the country on November 13. In a media interaction, Santosh and cast members Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, and Nishad Bhoir discussed representing India on the global stage.

Behind The Selection

Santosh noted that Gondhal is the least-budgeted film among 33 competitors, with a budget of approximately Rs 4.5 crore. He spent four to five months preparing for the Oscar submission. The director also mentioned that Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1, produced by Namit Malhotra, is contesting in the general category for Best Film, Best Actor, and Best VFX, and expressed confidence in its chances. He studied the Film Federation of India selection process for 10 to 12 years and praised the jury headed by eight-time National Award recipient P Sheshadri.

Context

The Film Federation of India selects India's official entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards each year. Directors often tailor their production and storytelling styles with an international outlook to appeal to global award juries while balancing domestic commercial expectations.